Survivors On Takoma Radio's Reggae For Refugees Program

Nanythe Talani from Congo-Brazzaville and Fekade Ancho from Ethiopia shared their personal experiences on Takoma Radio on November 18. The two survivors and Advocacy Program Manager Andrea Barron were invited to speak by Takoma Radio host Suzette Gardner on her Roots Rock Reggae program. Takoma Radio is an award-winning station located in Takoma Park Maryland which reaches a potential audience of 250,000 people in parts of Washington DC, Montgomery County and areas of Northern Virginia. Listen to the show on WOWD 94.3FM. http://www.mixcloud.com/rootsrockreggaelive/reggae-for-refugees-the-interviews/

Nanythe was a journalist and human rights activist in Congo-Brazzaville persecuted for “tarnishing the image” of her country after she published articles about government corruption and election fraud. Congo is a dictatorship ruled by one man-- Sassou Nguesso—for over 30 years. Fekade was an accountant at Ethiopian Airlines and head of the union representing Airlines employees. He was mentally and physically tortured, despite his disability from polio, when he fought a management decision to fire all Airlines employees who were not members of Ethiopia’s ruling party.

Andrea said the Roots Reggae program on refugees and asylum seekers was an opportunity to introduce the Takoma Radio audience to two incredibly brave torture survivors forced to flee their countries because they stood up for American principles like freedom of the press and democracy, now under threat in the United States.